Diarrhoea spreads in epidemic form
Sunday, 12 August 2007
Outbreak of diarrhoea, apparently in an epidemic form, attacked thousands of people across the country in the aftermath of the devastating floods that took a toll of at least 253 human lives by a latest official count, reports UNB.
No accurate figures were released by the government of how many people have died of diarrhoea, but government Press Information Department (PID) reported that 27 more flood-related deaths in last 24 hours upto Saturday morning pushed the casualty figure up to 253.
The waterborne disease broke out in almost all the 38 flood-hit districts, killing four people and affecting 32,000 across the country since July 30, Ayesha of the Health Directorate said Saturday.
Two diarrhoea-affected people died while 4,110 others fell ill with the disease in 24 hours till Friday night, she said, as reports from across the country said the receding floodwater is leaving a trail of devastation and a spectre of intestinal diseases.
"It's an acute form of diarrhoea," Pradip Kumar Bardhan of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) told the news agency.
He said some 1,000 patients have been admitted to the hospital from Thursday midnight to Friday midnight-the highest number in a given time of 40-year history of the specialised hospital, ICDDR,B.
A total of 6,298 people have come with severe diarrhoea to the hospital since the beginning of August till Friday midnight, according to the source.
"The outbreak of this water-borne diarrhoea caused by lack of safe drinking water," he said.
Bardhan said bacteria caused dehydration in the patients, and comparatively adults are being affected more.
"We're working round the clock to tackle the situation, but it has become difficult as so many patients come with the waterborne disease at a time," he said.
The ICDDR,B has set up tents and also arranged additional beds in its compound and also appointed more than 100 nurses and cleaners temporarily to cope with the exigencies.
Bardhan, however, said that he would not call it 'cholera', a definite form of bacteria, until and unless it is detected in laboratory test and analysis. He diagnosed it as a "severe form of diarrhoea".
Other diseases and disasters also spread in an alarming form from floods in the country. Seven people died of Respiratory Tract Infections (RTI) and 6,032 have been affected while 7,679 people got affected with skin diseases and 1,285 eye-related problems since July 30 to date, according to the Health Directorate source.
Some 20 died and 101 were reported injured in snakebite during the period, as tens of thousands of people live in their inundated homes, in camps or in the open surrounded by floodwaters.
Mahbubur Rahman, former Director of Primary Healthcare of the Health Directorate, said waterborne diseases, particularly diarrhoea, break out in an epidemic form during every flood.
He stressed the need for full preparation and forming more medical teams comprising health assistants and family welfare assistants by the government to tackle such flood-related health hazards.
A total of 2,797 medical teams have been working in the flood-affected areas to deal with the situation, according to a source.
Meanwhile, a release from the Food and Disaster Management Ministry said that nearly 9.21 million people of 2.0 million families have been hit by the floods in 199 upazilas of 33 districts.
Some 3,28,727 people have taken shelter in 1,229 flood-shelter centres.
The flooding caused damage to 55,599 houses completely, 7,90,588 houses partially, standing crops on 6,32,959 acres completely and 5,93,641 acres partially, 2,279 kms roads completely and 16,983 kms roads partially, and 532 educational institutions completely and 5,608 partially.
The damages also include 74 kms of embankments completely and 624 kms partially and 35 bridge-culverts completely and 635 partially, the release added.
Another report adds from Sirajganj: Flood triggered by heavy rainfall and onrush of hilly waters paralysed normal life of the people of the district that killed at least 30 people in the last two weeks.
The flood has messed the life of nine lakh people, out of 29 lakh, in 82 union parishads and six pourashavas in nine upazilas.
According to the primary estimates of the local administration, floodwater has damaged 95,000 houses, 450 educational institutions, 340 kms of pucca and 1224 km of kutcha roads completely and 980 mts roads partially. It also damaged 25 km of embankments, 14 culverts, 39 bridges and standing crops on 35,000 hectares.
Flood has also rotted a huge amount of thread in Belkuchi and Shahjadpur upazilas, famous for handloom industries.
Floodwater has already started to recede in the district but people are now under great threat as erosion by Jamuna has taken a serious turn in the district.
Water from the town has been receding but in villages and remote areas, it will take more time.
With the recession of water, waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, are spreading in an epidemic form in the district leaving hundreds of people, mostly children, affected.
People of the town have started to wash and clean their shops and houses and are taking preparation to go back to the normal life.
Another report from Pabna adds: This year's flood marooned at least 2.46 lakh people in 40 union parishads and three pourashavas in seven upazilas of the district, according to the district administration.
Standing crops on 26,105 acres of land have been damaged completely while 21,541 acres partially by the flood.
Some 655 kms of rural roads, 15 kms of dams, 16 kms of bridges and culverts have also been damaged, the sources said.
No accurate figures were released by the government of how many people have died of diarrhoea, but government Press Information Department (PID) reported that 27 more flood-related deaths in last 24 hours upto Saturday morning pushed the casualty figure up to 253.
The waterborne disease broke out in almost all the 38 flood-hit districts, killing four people and affecting 32,000 across the country since July 30, Ayesha of the Health Directorate said Saturday.
Two diarrhoea-affected people died while 4,110 others fell ill with the disease in 24 hours till Friday night, she said, as reports from across the country said the receding floodwater is leaving a trail of devastation and a spectre of intestinal diseases.
"It's an acute form of diarrhoea," Pradip Kumar Bardhan of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) told the news agency.
He said some 1,000 patients have been admitted to the hospital from Thursday midnight to Friday midnight-the highest number in a given time of 40-year history of the specialised hospital, ICDDR,B.
A total of 6,298 people have come with severe diarrhoea to the hospital since the beginning of August till Friday midnight, according to the source.
"The outbreak of this water-borne diarrhoea caused by lack of safe drinking water," he said.
Bardhan said bacteria caused dehydration in the patients, and comparatively adults are being affected more.
"We're working round the clock to tackle the situation, but it has become difficult as so many patients come with the waterborne disease at a time," he said.
The ICDDR,B has set up tents and also arranged additional beds in its compound and also appointed more than 100 nurses and cleaners temporarily to cope with the exigencies.
Bardhan, however, said that he would not call it 'cholera', a definite form of bacteria, until and unless it is detected in laboratory test and analysis. He diagnosed it as a "severe form of diarrhoea".
Other diseases and disasters also spread in an alarming form from floods in the country. Seven people died of Respiratory Tract Infections (RTI) and 6,032 have been affected while 7,679 people got affected with skin diseases and 1,285 eye-related problems since July 30 to date, according to the Health Directorate source.
Some 20 died and 101 were reported injured in snakebite during the period, as tens of thousands of people live in their inundated homes, in camps or in the open surrounded by floodwaters.
Mahbubur Rahman, former Director of Primary Healthcare of the Health Directorate, said waterborne diseases, particularly diarrhoea, break out in an epidemic form during every flood.
He stressed the need for full preparation and forming more medical teams comprising health assistants and family welfare assistants by the government to tackle such flood-related health hazards.
A total of 2,797 medical teams have been working in the flood-affected areas to deal with the situation, according to a source.
Meanwhile, a release from the Food and Disaster Management Ministry said that nearly 9.21 million people of 2.0 million families have been hit by the floods in 199 upazilas of 33 districts.
Some 3,28,727 people have taken shelter in 1,229 flood-shelter centres.
The flooding caused damage to 55,599 houses completely, 7,90,588 houses partially, standing crops on 6,32,959 acres completely and 5,93,641 acres partially, 2,279 kms roads completely and 16,983 kms roads partially, and 532 educational institutions completely and 5,608 partially.
The damages also include 74 kms of embankments completely and 624 kms partially and 35 bridge-culverts completely and 635 partially, the release added.
Another report adds from Sirajganj: Flood triggered by heavy rainfall and onrush of hilly waters paralysed normal life of the people of the district that killed at least 30 people in the last two weeks.
The flood has messed the life of nine lakh people, out of 29 lakh, in 82 union parishads and six pourashavas in nine upazilas.
According to the primary estimates of the local administration, floodwater has damaged 95,000 houses, 450 educational institutions, 340 kms of pucca and 1224 km of kutcha roads completely and 980 mts roads partially. It also damaged 25 km of embankments, 14 culverts, 39 bridges and standing crops on 35,000 hectares.
Flood has also rotted a huge amount of thread in Belkuchi and Shahjadpur upazilas, famous for handloom industries.
Floodwater has already started to recede in the district but people are now under great threat as erosion by Jamuna has taken a serious turn in the district.
Water from the town has been receding but in villages and remote areas, it will take more time.
With the recession of water, waterborne diseases, including diarrhoea, are spreading in an epidemic form in the district leaving hundreds of people, mostly children, affected.
People of the town have started to wash and clean their shops and houses and are taking preparation to go back to the normal life.
Another report from Pabna adds: This year's flood marooned at least 2.46 lakh people in 40 union parishads and three pourashavas in seven upazilas of the district, according to the district administration.
Standing crops on 26,105 acres of land have been damaged completely while 21,541 acres partially by the flood.
Some 655 kms of rural roads, 15 kms of dams, 16 kms of bridges and culverts have also been damaged, the sources said.